Improvement in passenger and station indicators



SSheets-Sheetl. F. W. BROOKS. PASSENGER AND STATION INDICATOR. N 180,457 Patented Aug. 1,1876.

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INVENTOR mmm u. PETERS. PHOTO-LITMOGRAPHER.' WASHINGTON, D.l C.

3 Sheets-Sheet'z.

F. W- BROOKS. PASSENGER AND STATIQN INDICATOR.

Patented Aug.1, 1876.

WITNESSES N.PETERS, PHoY-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTN. D C.

.3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. W. BROOKS. PASSENGER AND sTATxoN INDICATOR.

Patented. .Au.g.1,1876.V

A4 INVENTOR N.PETEHS. PHOT0L1THOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

RANKLIN W. BROOKS, ON NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PASSENGER AND STATION INDICATORS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent N o. 180,457, dated August 1, 1876; application filed June 3, 1876. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, 'of the city and county of New York, in the State ot New York, have invented a new and ,useful Improvement in Passenger and Street actuating device, so as to prevent its accidental or mischievous manipulation or injury by passengers; secondly, in a street'or station indicator formed by the said shield or jacket, in combination with an endless belt, or its equivalent, carrying the names; thirdly, in an advertising shield or jacket, serving to protect or mask the actuating device of the passenger-indicator, and also to increase the advertising capacity of the car, fourthly, in superior means for pulling or reciprocating a flexible actuating-rope or its equivalent 5 and, fthly, in a simple and efticient key-guide, applied to this device to facilitate its rapid operation, as hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a street-car provided with a combined passenger indicator, street indicator, and advertising device, illustrating the several features ot' this in vention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section of the upper part ot' the same. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of the attachment on a larger scale. Fig. 4 represents a bottom Viewv of a portion of the same. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the inner part of the same. Figs. 6 and 7 represent sections of this on the lines correspondingly numbered. Figs. 8 and 9 represent transverse sections ot' shields or jackets ofdiiierent shapes, applied to the actuating devices, illustrating certain moditications. Figs. 10 and 11 are, respectively, a top View and a side elevation of the shield or jacket and actuating devices shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 represents a vertical longitudinal section ot' another car provided with a combined passenger-indicator, street-indicator, and advertising device, illustrating additional modiiications. Fig. 13 represents a vertical longitud'inal section, and Fig. 14 a vertical transverse section, of this attachment AO11 a larger scale. Fig. 15 represents a horizontal section O11 the line 15 l5, Fig. 13.

Like letters ot reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

C O2, Figs. 1, 2, and 12, represent ordinary street-cars; and I l2, passenger-indicators of the form described in my Patent No. 175,656, arranged within such cars at the ends, in customary position.

A A2, Figs. 2, 3, 4., 5, 6, and 7, represent a preferred form Otl actuating device for said passenger-indicators, the same consisting of small wire ropes, Which extend from one end of the car to the other, overhead, as usual. J J represent shields or jackets inclosing said actuating-ropes, and attached to the root of the car. These shields or jackets comprise inner tubes T, to support the dexible actuating-ropes. rLhe outer part of each may be made Of sheet metal, and, extending vertically from below the rope to the root' above, and. horizontally from the rope to an intersection with the arched roof', it attords two extended ranges of advertising-spaces, a a2, While it in no Way obst-ructs the `present advertisingspaces a3 a4. The advertising capacity of the car is thus Vgreatly increased, and the revenue of its owners is correspondingly augmented, While advertisers derive the advantage of an extension of this popular advertising medium, and increased facility for display is afforded.

The bottom of the shield or jacket may beA inclined more or less, as indicated in Fig. 3, to expose its advertising-spaces a2.

The advertisements may be attached in the form of cards or small signs, or may be painted upon the shield or jacket, as p referred.

B B represent belts or aprons carrying the names of crossed streets or avenues, or of stations, as the case may be, which are exposed successively through openings b, the latter being formed in the vertical sides of the shields or jackets J, which inclose said belts or aprons, and form therewith street or station indicators. The great length of casing thus conveniently afforded facilitates the employment of simple endless belts of suitable iiexible material; but the special form ot' the vehicle, and the means by which the conductor or driver, or the wheels or axles, will actuate the saine, form no part of the present in-.

vention, and will not therefore be particularly described. Any of the well-known devices now in use may be employed.

One of the devices for manipulating the inclosed actuating-ropes A at different points is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. R represents a short rack attached to the rope (bysolder) opposite a slot, c, in one side of the tube Tand 'held normally by the retracting-spring of the indicator, or by a separate spring or Weight in lposition to be advanced the proper'length for the required movement. P represents an intermeshing pinion, constructed with a socket, d, fitted to the bit c of a key, K, Fig. 7. By insertin g and turning the latter the rope is pulled or reci procated with great facility, through the medium of the rack and pinion. By employin g a rack of proper length and giving it suflicient end-play, any strain ofthe parts, by turning the key farther than necessary or by turning it in the Wron g direction, is prevented. The rack may be held in mesh with the pinion by a guide coupling,f, at an adjacent transverse joint ofthe tubing, or by an abutment-guide opposite the slot. The pinion is inclosed in a housing or shell, S, attached to the tube T by screws, and provided with a funnel shaped key guide, g, leading to the socket of the pinion. The key can colisequently be inserted very readily, while this provision is made with the utmost facility.

J2, Fig. 8, represents a shield or jacket employed in connection with an angular actuating-rod, A2. The shield or jacket in this case only partially incloses the act'uating device, giving access for the conductors wrench, while it precludes grasping the rod with the hand so as to turn or bend it. The shape of the shield or jacket in cross-section is not essential.

Figs. 9, 10, and ll illustrate the employment of a shield or jacket, J 3, in the shape of a round tube, in contrast with the square tube T. (Shown in Fig. 7.) They also illustrate the adaptation of a single shield or jacket to inclose two or more actuating devices for regis- `tering di'erent fares, 85e; also, the adaptation of the same for the two-motion actuating devices described in my Patent No. 175,656, hereinbefore referred to, a-nd the employment ot' actuating tubes A3. The latter, in the illustration, are provided with lever-handles h h2 at their ends and at intermediate points, by which to manipulate them.,

The shield or jacket J3 is composed of longitudinal sections united by screws t' t', and is constructed with L-shaped slots 7c, to accommodate and guide the handles h2. The return movements ofthe handles are made by a spring or springs, which may be located in the indicator, or within the shield or jacket, as preferred.

Figs. 'l2 to 15, inclusive, illustrate the employment of a shield or jacket, J4, open at bottom to give access to a slide, A4, having an end knob, [1.3, and intermediate cross-bar handles. h4, which vconstitute the indicatoractuating device. The jacket J 4 and slide A4 are adapted to be made of wood, and the latter operates by a thrust, instead of a pull or turn. a c3 represent, respectively, the new and the old advertising-spaces. The former are defined by ornamental orifices in the face of the jacket, and vertical cleats l, having grooves to receive the edges of the cards or tablets, are attached internally between the orifices, so as to hold the cards or tablets in place.

Both vertical sides of the jacket J4 could obviously be provided with advertising-spaces a, and indicator-openings b, if preferred. The knob h3 of the slide A4 could also be disconnected and made selt'loeking, so as to prevent its accidental operation, or the slide could be made to operate by a pull instead of a thrust, without material modification.

The ropes A, rod A2, and tubes A3 are intended to be made in one or more parts, with screw -couplings or their equivalent at the joints; and a simple rod or wire can obviously be substituted for the ropes or tubes, or tubes be employed in lieu ofthe ropes, without materially affecting the described operation of the respective devices in which the same are employed.

I claim as new in this my present invention- 1. A longitudinal shield or jacket, as herein specified in combination with the actuating device of a passenger-indicator, for protecting or masking said actuating device, in the manner set forth.

2. The combination of a shield or jacket for the actuating device of a passenger-indicator, andan endless belt or its equivalent, carrying the names of cross-streets or stations, the former inclosing the latter, and provided with an aperture or apertures, through which the names are successively exposed or exhibited, substantially as herein shown and set forth.

v3. The pinion P, adapted to be actuated by a key, and arranged Within a lateral opening in the shield orjacket J, in combination with the intermeshing longitudinal rack R within the shield or jacket, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specited.

4. In combination with an inclosed actuating device for passenger-indicators, as herein illustrated and described, the pinion P, constructed with an axial socket, d, and the keyguide g, arranged with reference to said socket as specied, for the purpose set forth.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

Jas. L. EWIN, ABNER C. THOMAS. 

